The Manchester City Thread

John Guidetti has ended speculation about his long term future and signed a new three-year contract with City.

Despite not yet having made his Premier League debut for the Blues, the 20-year-old Swede is one of the most talked about young strikers in Europe.

A host of clubs have been linked with the under 21 international’s services not least those in Holland where he spent a successful period on loan at Feyenoord.

The free-scoring Guidetti became something of a cult figure in Rotterdam during last term’s stint in the Eredivisie scoring 20 times in all before a mystery virus ruled him out of the run-in and City’s pre-season.

Now, though, he has pledged his future to the Blues and is ready to battle with, and learn from, Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko and Carlos Tevez.

“I feel really happy of course, it’s a fantastic football club and to sign a new deal is really, really good,” he beamed.

“I’ve been here for a long time and Manchester City are the ones who have helped me grow and develop to the player I am today, so I am very grateful for that and I’ve seen how the club has turned into one of the biggest clubs in the world and it is great to be a part of that.

“It’s a very exciting time to be part of the club, we’re the champions from last season and City are now looking to be the best in every way and to be part of that and for the club to show that they want me to be a part of that is very nice.

“It’s going to be competitive with the players we have here, but who doesn’t like being competitive?! If everything was easy it wouldn’t be fun! I know I’m going to learn so much from all the great strikers that are here.

“I am only young and if I can train every day with the best strikers in the world then it is going to help me. If I can watch what they do in training, I can try to do the same and improve.”

The key now for Guidetti is fitness. It is more than six months since his last competitive outing though he is inching towards a return.

“It’s going really well, we have the best medical team and they have been working with me so well and I am so grateful for it,” he revealed.

“We don’t want to rush anything, I’m only young, I don’t want to take risks, I want to take my time.

“It’s going well, I can run, I can shoot, I can pass, so I am definitely getting there, but we have to be a bit more patient and of course I want to get out there every day, it’s what I long for.

When he does return he has one burning ambition and that is to add some Premier League game time to the League Cup outing in 2010 that remains his one senior appearance for boss Roberto Mancini.

“I want to develop and become the best that I can. I want to start to play more regularly for City and get first team football every week and just to play in front of the fans here and to bring home some medals – that would be a dream for me, to start playing for Manchester City,” he concluded.

wahey!

Manchester City appoint Txiki Begiristain as director of football

Interesting. Although apparently this restructuring of player recruitment and youth policy is costing upwards of £200m, which makes me sad.

Didn't Mancini sign a new long-term deal last season?

Didn't Mancini sign a new long-term deal last season?

Hardly going to make a difference though is it?

It's not as if City are gonna be looking under the sofa for a little extra change to fire him if they need/want to.

But I really can't see him staying if he doesn't win the league, his European record across two clubs is awful.

Ade won in the end, Zaba yellow carded about 20 seconds later haha.

Diving is so prevalent nowadays so as to be expected. Shouting at a player for diving is about as useful and as smart as shouting at the ball for going out for a corner.

Zaba's a cunt.

It's really odd how at park level if he'd pulled that shit any ref would have sent him off either for a second bookable for dissent or a straight red for OFFINABUS but yet referees who are 1000x better completely ignore that law.

I've no problem with Zaba going mad at Adebayor for diving. Can't see why anyone would

Quite funny but you can tell the journalists are trying to out laugh each other to get right up his arse.

Quite funny but you can tell the journalists are trying to out laugh each other to get right up his arse.